Tweets drive TV viewership

If you were hoping the whole social media craze would blow over and that TV shows would stop putting Twitter handles and hashtags on your big screen, bad news. A new study by ratings company Nielsen says that looking at related twets actually does get people to turn on and tune in. Tweets about reality TV shows, sporting events, and comedy programming were the best at pushing people to start watching. Nielsen Analytics vice president Mike Hess says this is vindication for networks that have bought into social media.